AN ACT to require all public schools, community colleges, and constituent institutions of the university of north carolina to evaluate certain CONSIDERATIONS ON TECHNOLOGY COSTS; TO REQUire PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO REPORT ON BREAK/FIX RATE; and to require local boards of education to publish TOTAL compensation and position information for central office employees.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

PART I. K‑12 TECHNOLOGY COST CONSIDERATIONS AND REPORTS ON BREAK/FIX RATES

SECTION 1.(a)  Part 3A of Article 8 of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by adding the following new sections to read:

§ 115C‑102.10.  Technology costs considerations.

The State Board of Education shall adopt rules requiring all public school units to evaluate the following when acquiring technology, computer hardware, and software:

(1)        The long‑term cost of ownership, including costs of repairing the technology, computer hardware, or software.

(2)        Any flexibility for innovation during the life of the technology, computer hardware, or software.

(3)        Any anticipated resale or salvage value at the end of the target life cycle for the technology, computer hardware, or software based on the average resale or salvage value of similar technology, computer hardware, or software as a percentage of the initial cost of purchase.

§ 115C‑102.11.  Break/fix rate reporting requirement.

(a)        Definitions. – The following definitions apply in this section:

(1)        Break/fix rate. – The percentage obtained by dividing the number of school technology devices reported as malfunctioning or needing repair due to physical damage, hardware failure, or other breakage incidents prior to the stated life cycle period, not covered by insurance or a policy plan period, by the total number of school technology devices in operation during that period.

(2)        School technology device. – Any electronic or computerized equipment provided for educational purposes in a public school unit, including computers, tablets, interactive whiteboards, and similar devices or anything considered a digital device for purposes of the digital learning dashboard pursuant to G.S. 115C‑102.9.

(b)        Each governing body of a public school unit shall submit a report on the following information to the State Board of Education by August 15 annually:

(1)        The break/fix rate of the school technology devices in the public school unit for the previous school year.

(2)        The total number of school technology devices currently in operation in the public school unit.

(3)        The total number of school technology devices in the public school unit requiring repair that (i) underwent repair or (ii) were no longer in service during the previous school year.

(4)        The total amount of funds spent to repair or replace school technology devices during the previous school year.

(c)        The State Board of Education shall report to the Joint Legislative Education Oversight Committee by November 15 annually on the break/fix rate of school technology devices across all public school units based on the reports submitted by the governing bodies in accordance with subsection (b) of this section. This report shall include a summary of the data reported by each governing body and recommendations to reduce break/fix rates in the future.

SECTION 1.(b)  The first reports from governing bodies of public school units required by G.S. 115C‑102.11(b), as enacted by this section, shall be submitted no later than August 15, 2026, based on data collected during the 2025‑2026 school year. The first report from the State Board of Education required by G.S. 115C‑102.11(c), as enacted by this section, shall be submitted no later than November 15, 2026.

PART II. CONFORMING CHANGES

SECTION 2.(a)  G.S. 115C‑12 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read:

(50)    To Require Evaluation of Technology Costs. – The State Board shall adopt rules governing public school units evaluating technology costs in accordance with G.S. 115C‑102.10.

SECTION 2.(b)  G.S. 115C‑47 is amended by adding the following new subdivisions to read:

(70)    To Evaluate Technology Costs. – A local board of education shall adopt a policy requiring the evaluation of technology costs considerations adopted by the State Board of Education pursuant to G.S. 115C‑102.10.

(71)      To Report on Break/Fix Rate. – A local board of education shall report annually to the State Board of Education on the break/fix rate of school technology devices in accordance with G.S. 115C‑102.11.

SECTION 2.(c)  G.S. 115C‑150.12C is amended by adding the following new subdivisions to read:

(37)    Evaluate technology costs. – The board of trustees shall adopt a policy requiring the evaluation of technology costs considerations adopted by the State Board of Education pursuant to G.S. 115C‑102.10.

(38)      Report on break/fix rate. – The board of trustees shall report annually to the State Board of Education on the break/fix rate of school technology devices used in the school in accordance with G.S. 115C‑102.11.

SECTION 2.(d)  Part 2 of Article 14A of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:

§ 115C‑218.33.  School technology.

(a)        A charter school shall adopt a policy requiring the evaluation of technology costs considerations adopted by the State Board of Education pursuant to G.S. 115C‑102.10.

(b)        A charter school shall report annually to the State Board of Education on the break/fix rate of school technology devices used in the school in accordance with G.S. 115C‑102.11.

SECTION 2.(e)  G.S. 115C‑238.66 is amended by adding the following new subdivisions to read:

(18a)  The board of directors shall adopt a policy requiring the evaluation of technology costs considerations adopted by the State Board of Education pursuant to G.S. 115C‑102.10.

(18b)    The board of directors shall report annually to the State Board of Education on the break/fix rate of technology used in the school in accordance with G.S. 115C‑102.11.

SECTION 2.(f)  G.S. 116‑239.8(b) is amended by adding the following new subdivisions to read:

(21a)  Evaluate technology costs. – The chancellor shall adopt a policy requiring the evaluation of technology costs considerations adopted by the State Board of Education pursuant to G.S. 115C‑102.10.

(21b)    Report on break/fix rate. – The chancellor shall report annually to the State Board of Education on the break/fix rate of technology used in the school in accordance with G.S. 115C‑102.11.

PART III. COMMUNITY COLLEGE TECHNOLOGY COST CONSIDERATIONS

SECTION 3.  Chapter 115D of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:

§ 115D‑9.40.  Evaluation of technology costs.

The State Board of Community Colleges shall adopt a policy that requires all community colleges to evaluate the following when acquiring technology, computer hardware, and software:

(1)        The long‑term cost of ownership, including costs of repairing the technology, computer hardware, or software.

(2)        Any flexibility for innovation during the life of the technology, computer hardware, or software.

(3)        Any anticipated resale or salvage value at the end of the target life cycle for the technology, computer hardware, or software based on the average resale or salvage value of similar technology, computer hardware, or software as a percentage of the initial cost of purchase.

PART IV. UNC TECHNOLOGY COST CONSIDERATIONS

SECTION 4.  G.S. 116‑11 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read:

(9c)    The Board shall adopt a policy that requires all constituent institutions to evaluate the following when acquiring technology, computer hardware, and software:

a.         The long‑term cost of ownership, including costs of repairing the technology, computer hardware, or software.

b.         Any flexibility for innovation during the life of the technology, computer hardware, or software.

c.         Any anticipated resale or salvage value at the end of the target life cycle for the technology, computer hardware, or software based on the average resale or salvage value of similar technology, computer hardware, or software as a percentage of the initial cost of purchase.

PART V. PUBLICATION OF TOTAL COMPENSATION AND POSITION INFORMATION FOR CENTRAL OFFICE EMPLOYEES

SECTION 5.(a)  G.S. 115C‑320 reads as rewritten:

§ 115C‑320.  Certain records open to inspection.Publication and inspection of certain records.

(a)        Each local board of education shall maintain a record of each of its employees, showing the following information with respect to each employee:

(1)        Name.

(2)        Age.

(3)        Date of original employment or appointment.

(4)        The terms of any contract by which the employee is employed whether written or oral, past and current, to the extent that the board has the written contract or a record of the oral contract in its possession.

(5)        Current position.

(6)        Title.

(7)        Current salary.total compensation, as defined in sub‑subdivision a. of subdivision (1) of subsection (b1) of this section.

(8)        Date and amount of each increase or decrease in salary total compensation, as defined in sub‑subdivision a. of subdivision (1) of subsection (b1) of this section, with that local board of education.

(9)        Date and type of each promotion, demotion, transfer, suspension, separation, or other change in position classification with that local board of education.

(10)      Date and general description of the reasons for each promotion with that local board of education.

(11)      Date and type of each dismissal, suspension, or demotion for disciplinary reasons taken by the local board of education. If the disciplinary action was a dismissal, a copy of the written notice of the final decision of the local board education setting forth the specific acts or omissions that are the basis of the dismissal.

(12)      The office or station to which the employee is currently assigned.

(b)        For the purposes of this section, the term central office employees refers to superintendents, assistant superintendents, associate superintendents, directors/coordinators, supervisors, finance officers, all personnel categorized as central office employees by the Department of Public Instruction or the local school administrative unit, and any permanent employee of the local school administrative unit or employee of a third‑party contractor with the local school administrative unit that is not assigned to a school campus. The term salary includes pay, benefits, incentives, supplements, bonuses, and deferred and all other forms of compensation paid by the employing entity.

(b1)      No later than August 15, 2025, and annually thereafter, each local board of education shall publish and maintain on its website all of the following information:

(1)        For each central office employee:

a.         Total compensation from all funding sources, including at least the following:

1.         Salary.

2.         Reimbursements and allowances, including reimbursements and allowances related to travel.

b.         Position title.

c.         Position description.

d.         The date the position was created.

e.         The department, unit, or office of the local school administrative unit in which the position is located.

(2)        The title of each central office employee position in the local school administrative unit and the number of positions associated with that title.

(3)        For each department, unit, or office of the local school administrative unit:

a.         The number of central office employees located in that department, unit, or office.

b.         The number of central office employees for each position title.

(c)        Subject only to rules and regulations for the safekeeping of records adopted by the local board of education, every person having custody of the records shall permit them to be inspected and examined and copies made by any person during regular business hours. The name of a participant in the Address Confidentiality Program established pursuant to Chapter 15C of the General Statutes shall not be open to inspection and shall be redacted from any record released pursuant to this section. Any person who is denied access to any record for the purpose of inspecting, examining or copying the record shall have a right to compel compliance with the provisions of this section by application to a court of competent jurisdiction for a writ of mandamus or other appropriate relief.

SECTION 5.(b)  The title of Article 21A of Chapter 115C of the General Statutes reads as rewritten:

Article 21A.

Privacy of Employee Personnel Records.

PART VI. EFFECTIVE DATE

SECTION 6.  This act is effective when it becomes law. Sections 1 through 4 of this act apply beginning with the 2025‑2026 academic year.